'Morning after the night before' drink-drive warning from police in Cornwall
Drivers are being reminded alcohol can take hours to pass through their systems
Last updated 31st Dec 2021
Devon and Cornwall Police have issued a 'morning after the night before' drink-drive warning ahead of New Year.
The force says you can still be over the limit hours afterwards and is urging drivers not to get behind the wheel until they are confident any alcohol is out of their systems.
The message is part of their annual drink driving campaign, which also revealed 163 people were charged with a drink-drive related offence last year.
Superintendent Adrian Leisk is urging people to think twice before driving over the limit this New Year.
He said: "Don't get into a vehicle until you're really confident the alcohol has passed through your system. We do see, tragically, far too many people dealt with the following morning who are still over the drink-drive limit".
Superintendent Leisk added it is not worth the risk "Could you live with yourself if you've caused that death or serious injury to another person? These are really big consequences for people to think about and we want to make drink driving as socially unacceptable as possible".
During last year’s Christmas campaign, officers in Devon and Cornwall carried out 1,348 breath tests and charged 163 people with a drink drive-related offence.
Drink and drug driving still accounts for 15% of road deaths and almost 10,000 casualties nationally each year - despite long-term reductions in the figures.
The 'Lift Legend' scheme sees designated drivers able to receive a voucher for a free soft drinks by participating venues.
Officers will also be carrying out intelligence-led fixed site checks, as well as engaging with motorists on the risks of getting behind the wheel after a drink.
Superintendent Adrian Leisk added: “Alcohol and drugs impair many of the functions necessary for safe driving; reaction times and spatial awareness are affected significantly.
"This may still be the case the morning after, depending on how much alcohol is consumed the night before and when you stopped drinking.
“If police think you are unfit to drive through consumption of alcohol, even if your breath test registers lower than the prescribed limit of 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, you can still be arrested and may be charged with an offence. In short, you do not have to be drunk to be a drink driver. Don’t risk it.
“It’s not just you that’s at risk. You could kill or seriously injure another person. Drink driving destroys people’s lives and those of their families. Avoiding this happening is as simple as planning ahead, leaving the car at home, and using a taxi, public transport or designated driver to get home".